Cupra brings us gas, hybrid and electric vehicles

The Volkswagen Group's Cupra brand has given an update on its launch plans in the United States

Spanish Performance Marche is still targeting the arrival of the United States by the end of the decade, but its previous plans to sell only electric cars starting with a pair of crossovers have been abandoned.

Cupra now expects to provide gas, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles in the United States

The cupra USA division was established to oversee the U.S. market, led by Bernhard Bauer, former head of the German market at Cupra.

Cupra may partner with penske Automotive Group to establish a sales channel. Cupra said it was in talks with the dealer group about the possibility of a partnership. Wayne Griffiths, CEO of Cupra, said in a statement that a strong distribution and retail strategy is critical to its success in the U.S. and that Penske Automotive Group's market presence and past experience with other Volkswagen Group brands make it a promising potential partner.

Cupra operates mainly in Europe, but has already expanded to several international markets, including Mexico and other Latin American countries. For the United States, Cupra had previously said it would operate first in selected states on the East Coast and West Coast, and along the Solar belt.

Cupra started as a performance sub-brand of the VW Group's Spanish brand SEAT, but in 2018 it launched a standalone car offering a range of sporty and emotional cars with impressive designs and platforms that are largely shared with Volkswagen models. It was repositioned as an online brand. Since then, it has sold about 750,000 units worldwide, including 230,739 last year alone, making it a record year.